Sheet gaging and detecting device



y 2, 1961 L. MESTRE 2,982,545

SHEET GAGING AND DETECTING DEVICE Original Filed Nov. 26. 1957 MAIN :SWITCH INVENTOR. z. U/5 ME 5 THE K H TTORNEYS United States Patent SHEET GAGING AND DETECTING DEVICE Luis Mestre, 305 E. 46th St., New York, NY.

Original application Nov. 26, 1957, Ser. No. 698,992,

now Patent No. 2,940,750, dated June 14, 1960. Divided and this application Oct. 1, 1959, Ser. No. 843,883

12 Claims. (Cl. 271-57) The invention relates to a sheet gage and a sheet detector. It has usefulness particularly in the printing field such as associated with collating machines, printing machines and the like where sheets are fed in a continuous stream. The device will gage the sheet or sheets and if one is too thick or there are two superimposed aligned sheets, the machine will be stopped so that a correction can be made. If the collating or printing machine should fail to properly feed a sheet this is detected and the machine is stopped. At times there is a selected break or gap in the continuous feeding of sheets such as in making a book from sheets fed from a collating machine in order to give additional time for another step or steps in the completion of the book in which event the gage and detector are rendered inoperative at such selected gaps in the series of sheets. This application is a division of my application S.N. 698,992, filed November 26, 1957, now

U.S. Patent No. 2,940,750.

It is an object of the invention to construct a sheet gaging means which stops the machine in the event an unduly thick sheet or a plurality of superimposed aligned sheets pass through the gage.

Another object is to detect a missing sheet and stop the machine in the event of an unauthorized missing sheet.

It is another object to construct a sheet detector which can be rendered inoperable for an intentional gap in a stream of sheets so that such gap will not stop the machine.

Other objects of the invention will be more. apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the gaging and detecting device;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the device;

Fig. 3 illustrates means of simpleconstruction for adjusting the gap between the contact points which perform the detecting and gaging function;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the gaging means with the control mechanism; and

Fig. 5 shows a scroll mechanism used with the device for assuring separation of sheets for gaging and detecting particularly when the stream is a stream of sheets which partially overlap.

The gaging and detecting device in the parent application is associated with a collating machine which has clamping and transporting means each of which withdraws a sheet from one of a plurality of pockets in a storage mechanism and transports the sheet in a partially overlapping stream with other sheets to a depositing platform where the sheets are separated into books by a suitable mechanism. The sheet gaging anddetcting device for such or other machine is mounted for rotation between the storage mechanism and the depositing platform and is connected with a drive shaft for the transport mechanism between these to points so a's'to'b'e' rotated thereby. The rotation is at such a speed that the edge of each sheet ice 2- comes between the gaging and detecting contacts. The gaging and detecting means is located at a position where the sheets are separated in stream either fully or partially in overlying relation and being transported. It also gages on the fly or while the sheets are in motion or being transported without stopping the sheet movement.

In order to assure that the thick sheet or unwanted plural sheets gaged by the gaging means is that'being transported as a unit such as by a single clamping means, means are provided to separate the sheet or sheets carried by one transporting and clamping means as it passes the gaging means from a sheet carried by a single following or preceding clamping means which sheets may and usually do partially overlap. The sheet separating means includes a scroll 8 mounted on the periphery of a rotating mounting member or housing 9. The scroll circles. the housing about one and one quarter times so that there is some overlapping of the ends. The scroll has also an additional portion 8a forming a tapering sheet receiving channel or narrow throat at a gap in thescroll. This rotating housing rotates on a vertical axis on stub 'shafts 10 at each end which are mounted in bearings carried by the main frame 6. Any suitable drive connection may be used to rotate the housing, that shown including a pinion 11 secured to the lower stub shaftwhich pinion meshes with a gear 12 secured on a shaft 13 mounted in the main frame and connected with the sheet transport ingmeans. The gear ratio is such that the rotary housing rotates once in the transport time between the leading edge of one sheet and the leading edge of the next sheet or the time for one sheet transporting or clamping means i as the scroll rotates it separates or raises this sheet from. i

the next underlying sheet. carried by the next following transport means. When the scroll rotates a full revolution, the lower level or the lower portion of the scroll turns beneath the edge of the next sheet or in a position to receive the next sheet and raise it above the next following sheet. The scroll portion or converging means 8a forms a throat which also directs the edge of the sheet or sheets between contacts of.a gaging means which gages the sheet or sheets passing through the same as well as to detector contacts adjacent to the gaging contacts.

; The gaging means includes a movable contact 18 v a second movable contact 19s'paced from the first con} tact by the thickness of one sheet. The first movable contact is carried on an arm 20 mounted on a pivot 21 carried bythe rotary housing. This arm also carries a cam follower 22, Fig. 3, which is in contact with a sta; tionary cam 23. As the rotary mounting member or housing turns, the cam follower rides off of the high point of the cam which separates the two contacts so that a sheet may be inserted easily therebetween. When th contacts make about a complete rotation and have the edge of a sheet projected therebetween, the cam follower rides up on the high point of the cam against the tension of a spring 17 and pivots the first movable contact to wards the second movable-contact. I V p If there are two sheets or a thick sheet between the contacts, the second contact is raised sufiiciently to .close a microswitch 24, completing a circuit to a slip ring25 and its brush 26. Closing of this switch and its electrical circuit operates a solenoid 27, Fig. 4, which opens a throwout switch 28, of any suitable kind and generally indicated, in series with the machine motor 29 and stops the machine. The inertia of the machine carries the sheet transporting means with its two or more sheets to the depositing position or platform and deposits the two sheets soltha t the extrafshee't' need merely be removed from the pile. This gaging means of course will fuiic tion to stop the machine if a sheet of greater thickness than the usual sheet has been picked up by a sheet transporting clamping means. A somewhat similar scroll may he provided on the opposite side of the sheet rotating in the opposite direction. i f i Detector means are provided also to stop the machine in the event that a sheet should fail to be picked up and transported. This detector means is conveniently associated with the gaging'means and includes a detector switch comprising a fixed contact 36 but preferably flexibly mounted on a spring support 37 carried by the rotatable mounting member or housing 9. A movable contact 38 is conveniently carried by the pivotal arm 20 so that the movable contact also is moved into contact with the fixed or flexible contact by the cam 23. When the cam 'follower reaches the high point of the cam and the edge of a sheet has been projected between the two contacts 38, 36 and the sheet prevents engagement and closing of the switch formed by the two contacts and nothing happens.

If, however, a sheet is missing, the movable contact 38 engages the contact 36 and a circuit is established through a ring 39 and its brush 40 to operate a solenoid 41 at a throwout switch 42 of any suitable kind which opens the switch and stops the machine. The inertia of the machine carries the sheet to or beyond the depositing point so that the missing sheet can be inserted in proper position in the pile. The gaging switch and the detector switch may have a joint ground or negative connection through a slip ring 44 and its brush 45. The detector means and gaging means are located at the gap in the scroll.

It is not necessary to provide two throwout switches 28 and 42 since a single switch will accomplish the stopping of the mchine; however, two are disclosed since this reveals in one way whether a missing sheet or two sheets is the cause of the stopping of the machine. Such switches customarily have a light as a part of the switch which lights when the switch is opened. This tells which switch has opened and tells the operator to insert a missing sheet or remove one of two sheets. The throwout switches may take several forms. In the switches illustrated the solenoid releases a catch 43 which holds the switch contacts closed so that release of the catch opens the switch. A manual button B is pressed to close the switch when correction has been made in the sheet pile.

The clamping and transporting means which picks up a sheet and transports the same to the gaging and detector means may be controlled through certain selecting means so that a sheet is not picked up and transported. This is an intentional omission of a sheet in the clamping means and hence when this occurs, the detector means should become inoperative. This is accomplished by including a normally closed nullifying switch 47 in series with the detector switch 36, 38. This nullifying switch is conveniently operated by the means which prevents a sheet from being picked up by the clamping and transporting means. When a control pin 49 operates to miss or not pick up a sheet, this control pin remains advanced or depressed and will also open the nullifying switch 47. This latter switch is located so that when the gap formed by a missing sheet in the stream of sheets reaches the detector and gaging means the nullifying switch is opened by the control pin 49. As a consequence the fact that there is a missing sheet does not operate the throwout switch and does not stop the machine. It will be noted therefore that operation or depression of the control pin 49 to not pick up a sheet functions without more or any additional operation to open the nullifying switch when the gap in the stream of sheets reaches the detector and gaging means. The control pin 49 may be associated with the machine such as a collator in any suitable way and in the collator it is carried by a control disk 34 which rotates with the storage means of the collator.

Preferably the position of the cam 23 is adjustable so that the spacing between the gaging contacts 19 and 20 may be conveniently adjusted. This adjusting means includes a cam slide 50 slidable in ways 51, the slide having an enlarged opening 52 for the shaft 10. An adjusting screw 53 turnably carried by the frame 6 is used to adjust the position of the cam.

The throwout switches 28 and 42 are connected in series.

This invention is presented to fill a need for improvements in a-sheet gaging and detecting device. It is understood that various modifications in structure, as well as changes in mode of operation, assembly, and manner of use, may and often do occur to those skilled in the art, especially after benefiting from the teachings of an invention. This disclosure illustrates the preferred means of embodying the invention in useful form.

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet device comprising a frame, a mounting member, means mounting the mounting member for rotation on the frame, means connected with the mounting member to rotate the same, a scroll to separate overlying sheets secured to the mounting member and substantially circling the same to provide a gap and circling upwardly from a lower end at the gap, converging means at the gap spaced from the lower end of the scroll providing a relatively narrow throat, switch means including a first and a second contact carried by the mounting means and in the gap and in alignment with the throat, means mounting the first contact for movement towards and away from the second contact, means connected with the first contact to move the contact towards the second contact and the movement taking place once for each rotation of the mounting member, and a switch operated by the contact means.

2. A sheet gaging device comprising a frame, a mounting member, means mounting the mounting member for rotation on theframe, means connected with the mounting member to rotate the same, a scroll to separate overlying sheets secured to the mounting member and substantially circling the same and provide a gap and circling upwardly from a lower end at the gap, converging means at the gap spaced from the lower end of the scroll providing a relatively narrow throat, a first and a second gaging contact each movably mounted on the mounting means and in the gap and in alignment with the throat with the contacts being spaced from each other, means connected with the first movable contact to move the contact towards the second contact to a position spaced therefrom by a sheet thickness and the movement taking place once for each rotation of the mounting member, and a switch carried by the mounting means and operated by movement of the second gaging means.

3. A sheet gaging device as in claim 2 in which the means to move the first movable contact is a stationary cam carried by the frame, and a cam follower carried by the first movable contact and engaging the stationary cam.

4. A sheet gaging device as in claim 3 including means mounting the cam for adjustment of its position relatively to the cam follower.

5. A sheet gaging device as in claim 2 including a throwout switch connected with the switch carried by the mounting member to open the throwout switch.

6. A sheet gaging and detecting device as in claim 2 including a first and a second electrical contact carried by the mounting means in alignment with the gaging contacts and the throat, the first electrical contact being movably mounted on the mounting means for movement towards and away from the second electrical contact, and means to move the first electrical contact towards the second electrical contact.

7. A sheet gaging and detecting device as in claim 6 in which the means to move the first electrical contact and the first gaging contact is a stationary cam carried by the frame, and a cam follower carried by the first contacts and engaging the cam.

8. A sheet gaging and detecting device as in claim 7 including means to adjust the position of the cam on the frame relatively to the cam follower.

9. A sheet gaging and detecting device as in claim 6 including a throwout switch connected with the switch .carried by the mounting member and opened thereby and a throwout switch connected with the sheet detecting contacts to open the throwout switch, and the throwout switches being connected in series.

10. A sheet detecting device comprising a frame, a mounting member, means mounting the mounting member for rotation on the frame, means connected with the mounting member to rotate the same, a scroll to separate overlying sheets secured to the mounting member and substantially circling the same to provide a gap gap on the mounting means in alignment with the throat with the contacts being spaced from each other, the first detector contact being mounted for movement towards and away from the first, and means connected with the first movable contact to move the same into engagement with the second contact once for each revolution 'of the References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,515,774 Jones Nov. 18, 1924 Y 2,373,222 Bobst Apr. 10, 1945 2,753,184 Backhouse July 3, 1956 

